Fuel economizer



A 7, 1956 M. L. WHITE 2,757,654

FUEL ECONOMIZEIR Filed Jan. 20, .1955

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2,757,654 FUEL ECONOMIZER I Milton L. White, Atlanta, Ga. Application January 20,1955, Serial No. 483,081

' Claims. or. 123-419 This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in internal combustion engines such as are used in automobiles, and the like, and the principal object of the invention is to attain substantial economy in fuel consumption of such engines.

' More specifically, the invention concerns itself with the provision of a fuel economizer apparatus whereby a portion of the exhaust gases of the' engine may be introduced into the intake manifold for the purpose of agitating and warming up the fuel mixture for a more thorough and efiicient combustion.

An important feature of the invention therefore resides in the provision of a housing adapted to be interposed between the exhaust manifold and the exhaust pipe of an engine for the purpose of facilitating the retrieving of a portion of the exhaust gasesan adapter plate to be interposed between the carburator and the intake manifold of the engine, and a conduit connecting the housing to the adapter plate, whereby delivery of exhaust gases from the housing to the intake manifold is attained.

A further object of the invention resides in the construction of the housing itself, the same being provided with means for efiectively controlling the flow of exhaust gases therethrough and screening such gases to safeguard against any possibility of blocking the aforementioned conduit by particles of carbon or other foreign matter.

Another object of the invention involves the provision of means for controlling or regulating the rate of flow of exhaust gases through the aforementioned conduit, whereby the apparatus may be adjusted to operate in the most eificient manner.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, efficient and dependable operation, and in its adaptability for expeditious installation in the manner of an attachment to conventional engines.

With the above more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention resides in the arrangement of parts and details of construction substantially as shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an internal combustion engine, showing the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a top plan view, partially broken away, illustrating the adapter plate used in the invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the exhaust manifold, exhaust pipe and the housing therebetween;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 44 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the screen member used in the invention; and

Figure 6 is a group diagramatic illustration of various modified arrangements for operatively connecting the exhaust manifold housings with the intake manifold adapter plates. 1

With reference now to the accompanying drawing in detail, the general reference numeral 10 designates a conventional internal combustion engine including an intake manifold 11,-a carburator 12, an exhaust manifold 13 and an exhaust pipe 14.

The invention consists of a fuel economizer apparatus including an adapter plate 15 which is interposed between the customary flanges of the intake manifold 11 and car- ..burator 12 and is formed at one side thereof with a screwthreaded opening 16 to receive a conventional pipe connector 17 having one end of a conduit or tube 18 suitably secured therein. I

The apparatus also includes a housing 19 which is interposedbetween the customary flanges of the exhaust manifold 13 and the exhaust pipe 14, the lateral wall of this housing being formed with a screw-threaded aperture 20 to receive a pipe connector 21,-having the other end of the aforementioned conduit-18 secured therein. It will be apparent from the foregoing that the conduit 18 thus establishescommunication between the interior or chamber of'the housing 19 and the intake manifold 11. I v

- A substantially tubular screen member 22 is provided in the housing chamber 19a in continuous alignment with the exhaust manifold l3 and exhaust pipe 14, the inter mediate portion of the member 22 being formed with struck out fin-like elements 23 affording a series of. slots or passagesthrough which a portion of the exhaust gases passing axially throughthe member 22 may escape outwardly into the chamber 19a and, subsequently, into the conduit 18. The slots or passages afforded by the struck out fins 23 are of such size as to prevent relatively large particles of carbon or other foreign matter from entering the conduit and blocking the same, whereby the member 22 performs the function of a screen as well as that of means for guiding the exhaust gases through the chamber 190! while permitting a portion of such gases to be extracted or diverted into the chamber from their main line of flow.

In order to break up or agitate the extracted portion of the exhaust gases in the chamber 19a and to somewhat retard their flow into the conduit 18, an arcuate baflle 24 is provided in the housing 19 between the screen member 22 and the aperture 20, as is best shown in Figure 4.

The screen member 22 and the baffle 23 may be secured in the chamber 19a in any suitable manner, such as for example, by being clamped, together with the housing 19, between the flanges of the exhaust manifold 13 and exhaust pipe 14.

Finally, to regulate the rate of flow of the exhaust gases through the conduit 18, a suitable control valve 25 is provided intermediate the ends of the conduit, the valve 25 being manipulated either directly or by remote controlwhen the engine is in use.

When the apparatus is in operation, a portion of the exhaust gases passing through the screen member 22 in the housing 19'will escape into the chamber 191: and will be drawn through the conduit 18 into the intake manifold 11. Herein, such exhaust gases will effectively agitate and pre-heat or warm the fuel mixture, so that as a result the latter will be capable of a more thorough and elficient combustion and a substantially greater operating economy will be attained.

The various parts and their relationship as above described are schematically illustrated in the left-hand portion of the diagram in Figure 6, which is typical of a simple installation of the invention on a straight engine. This simple arrangement may be modifiied by providing the adapter plate 15 and the housing 19 with pairs of openings or apertures at diametrically opposite sides thereof and employing a pair of conduits 18, 18a for operatively connecting the same, in place of the single conduit 18. In an instance of a V type engine having a single intake manifold but twin exhaust manifolds, twin housing 19 may be used on the respective exhaust manifolds and connected by a pair of conduits 18; 18a to a single adapter plate 15 under the carburator. Moreover, on a V type engine utilizing twin carburators and twin exhaust manifolds, the respective housings 19 may be connected by a pair of conduits 18, 18a to the respective adapter plates 15 under the respective carburators, as indicated in the right-hand portion of Figure 6.

While in the foregoing there have been shown and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, various' modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications may be resorted to such as may lie within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine including an intake manifold and a carburator thereon and an exhaust manifold and an exhaust pipe communicating therewith, a fuel economizer comprising an adapter plate interposed between said intake manifold and said carburator and provided with a lateral opening, a housing interposed between said exhaust manifold and said exhaust pipe and affording a chamber therein, said housing having a lateral wall provided with an aperture, a

and in a radially inwardly spaced relation from the lateral wall of the housing, whereby exhaust gases passing through said screen member into said chamber may be drawn through said conduit into said intake manifold.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 together with a baffle provided in said chamber between said screen member and said aperture.

3. A fuel economizer for internal combustion engines, comprising an adapter plate adapted to be interposed between the intake manifold and the carburator of an engine and provided with a lateral opening, a housing adapter to be interposed between the exhaust manifold and the exhaust pipe of the stated engine and affording a chamber therein, said housing having a lateral Wall provided with an aperture, a conduit extending from the aperture in said housing to the opening in said adapter plate, and a substantially tubular screen member provided in the chamber of said housing in a radially inwardly spaced relation from the lateral wall of the latter, whereby exhaust gases passing through said screen member may be drawn into said conduit.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 3 together with a battle provided in said chamber between said screen member and said aperture.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 3 together with a flow control valve provided on said conduit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,457,870 Zurborg June 5, 1923 2,030,508 Falconer Feb. 11, 1936 2,084,142 Horton June 15, 1937 

